This is the Italian version of hamburger and potatoes – a childhood dish my mom made. No frills and no pretense – it’s simple basic comfort food.

While my taste in food has definitely evolved over the years, I’d much rather eat street foods or rustic foods than something put together with tweezers in a chef du jour establishment. That is not to say I don’t like or enjoy new and innovative meals, because I do. It’s more that they are fleeting – whatever the trend is today will be forgotten tomorrow while someone is trying to sell the next one. A homemade chicken pot pie or a big pot of soup will be here, forever.

And I have eaten my share of both. I think working in restaurants and hotels for so many years really took the luster off fine dining for me. Knowing what’s really going on in the kitchen does tend to diminish the experience, although it’s the exact opposite for me when eating at a small, mom and pop establishment – I tend to be much more open and accepting of what’s coming to the table and more appreciative of what they’re doing. Maybe it’s the lack of pretentiousness.

But whatever it is, my gastronomic heart is where the locals are eating. And tonight, the locals are eating at home.

Sausage and peppers and onions are the basic. If you want to get fancy, you add potatoes. if you want to go over the top, you scramble in a couple of eggs right before serving. We went over the top, tonight.

We used a hot Italian sausage from Martin’s. red and green peppers because we had them, and a russet potato I cubed and then baked off in the oven before mixing it into the skillet with the rest of the goodies. Mini-versions of my dad’s Dirty Potatoes.

The only seasonings were salt, pepper, and garlic powder. It didn’t need anything else.